Means for controlling the driving gear of locomotive cranes



July 17, 1928. 1,677,374 H. G. STEINBRENNER MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DRIVING GEAR OF LQCOMOTIVE CRANES Filed Aug. 6, 1927 HIS A tier-Q19 WITNESS:

instance its running gear will only function Patented July 17, 1928.

HENRY e. srnrnsnnnnnn, or

r 1,677,374 ATENr Pr ce,

CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY Mnsnr. ASSIGN- MENTS, TO INDUSTRIAL BROW'NHOIST CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING were nmv'rne unner rocomo'rivnonnnns.

Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial ing locomotive cranes SO and disconnecting the driving gear of that in the one lnstance it will be a self-propelling unit and the other as idlers as in ordinary railroad rolling stock.

. hen locomotive cranes are slnpped from the factory to their destination by rail on their own wheels it is necessary to disenthe e the travel gear and mechanisms from truck axles, inasmuch as the speed at the locomotlve crane is then a part, is much greater than the designed speed under its own power,

of the locomotive crane and, the mechanisms would otherwise be wrecked. Of course, the same conditions prevail when a locomotive crane is hauled out on the main lines or right-ot-way by locomotives for repair or construction work.

A principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a means for quickly and positively disengaging the gearing from the driven axles of locomotive cranes under these circumstances,

and, without endangering the persons who make such disengagements.

Heretotore, m locomotive cranes, the

driven bevel gears,

located on the truck axles have been oi the split (two halves) type securely clamped to the axles in mesh with the bevel pinions on the longitudinal transmission shait. When it became necessary to disengage the gears it was necessary for a mechanic to crawl under the crane and unfasten the bevel gears them along the axles away mesh with the bevel pinions on dinal transmission the from the axles, slide from and out of the longitushaft, and then re-clam gears to their axles in their then out-o mesh positions.

To obviate danger mechanics in such adqustments,

to the life or limb of later designs have incorporated loose gear and jaw-clutch arrangements type the jaw-clutch is slidably axles. In this keyed to the for the truck axle and the axle turns freely in the bevel gear which is held from rotating by the bevel pinion. The jaw clutch is operated from the side of nut screw-andthe crane by a decided arrangement. This scheme is a;

pensive to build and adds a considerable sum tot he cost of the crane.

tive crane trucks.

, gether with the cranes superstructure is median line M, and are It is accordingly another object of my in vention to provide a less expensive means for disengaging the bevel gears of locomo- I accomplish this object by moving the bevel pinions out of mesh with their companion bevel gears which are located on the truck axles, thereby dispensing with any special clutching means;

The drawing is a bottom view of two trucks of a locomotive crane coupled to+ usual transmission gearing my present invention. The shows the engaged relation the Bevel gears B and Bare mounted, respectively, 'on and near the centers of axles D and D, with their faces or teeth toward the securely keyed and fastened to said axles. Integral collarsor shoulders, 0, 0 are preferably located on the axles immediately behind the gears B and B to provide against any lateral displacement or the gears.

Bracket, or G shaped castings, G, G are slidably mounted on and carried by the axles D and D, respectively. In the drawing these parts are shown as having three points of bearing-contact with the axles, namely, one at each extremity 1 and 2 of the castings, and one, 3, midway thereof. At these points bearing-caps, are provided, within and through which the axles extend. When the mechanisms are assembled, the straight, or closed side, of the castings in each case, will be on thesame side of the axle as the axis of rotation It, and the castings themselves will connect the bearings 1 and 2 and include between these points, respectively, the gears B and B. A sleeve or hub-like portion 19, of the castings carrying the bearing-contact atits inner end extends inwardly around the axles to the median line M. At right angles to the axis the same elevation, are bearings l on the of the bearings 3, and at gears B and B, respectively, with their faces toward the axles.

A triple-bearing TB, supporting a longitudinal power-transmission shaft L, is indicated as extending downwardly from the center of the car-body (not shown). The shaft projects far enough beyond its sup porting bearings b, b, of the triplebearing TB, to accommodate the ends of universal couplings K, K. The complementary end I members of the universal couplings K, K,

and K K shafts S S.

A bevel gear 9' is mounted on the. longitudinal shaft L between the bearings b, b, with its face toward the center of rotation R. It is driven by a bevelpinion g at the lower end of a vertical shaft V. v

The castings G, G are provided with lever supporting fins F, F which are located on the loop-portion of the casting opposite the bearin s, 2, 2. A bifurcated lever H with its bi urcated end embracing the fin F is pivotally connected to the latter at f. The

are operatively connected by lever is provided with a pin hole It near the pivotal point 7 and also with a lug Z at one side near its having a hole. The fins F, F are also provided with holes h, 11. for the purpose to be explained, hereinafter.

. The axles D and D are turned down to shorter diameters at points about midway of the bearings 2, 2 and the track wheels W, WV, to accommodate split collars SC, SC that are loosely mounted to allow the axles to rotate. Toggle-links t and 25, arranged in parallel pair-members, (one at the top and the other at the bottom) are pivotally connected at one of their ends to the bearings v2, 2, and the split-collars SC, SC, respectively. The stem ends of yokes Y, Y are pivotally bolted to the lugsl, Z of the levers :H, Hand the yoke portions extend above and below the axles D and D and are pivotally connected to the other, or free, ends of the pairs of toggle-links t, t.

It will bereadily seen, upon referring to the drawing, that, by manipulating the lever H of the left-hand truck assembly, in the direction indicated by the arrow A, until thehole h in thelever registers with the hole 71 in the fin F, the toggle joints will pivotal end, said lug Z also I be broken and the casting G, carrying the pinion B will slide along the axle D until the bearing 1 contacts with the collar 0, thereby disengaging the bevel-pinion B from the bevel-gear B. A bolt may be passed through the registered holes h and [L2 to hold the lever in place.

To engage the bevel-pinion B with the bevel gear I3 the lever H of the right hand truck assembly is manipulated in the direction indicated by the arrow A, until the hole 71, in the lever registers with the hole 71 of the fin F, whereupon-the casting G will slide along the axleD until the bearing 1 reaches a shoulder O on the axle D. gears are held in mesh, positively, by placing a bolt into the registered holes h and k l/Vhat I claim and wish to protect by Letters Patent, is z- 1. In comblnation with the driven axle of the truck of a locomotive crane, a bracketlike part, or casting, slidably connected at its ends to the same, a bevel-gear fixedly mounted on the axle between the points of said connection, with its face, or teeth, fronting toward the median line of the truck, a journal, in line with and jointedly coupled to the powentransniission shaft of the crane, extending through and within said bracket-like part in bearing contact with the same and in front of the bevel-gear, a bevel-pinion adapted to mesh with said gear, fixedly mounted on said journal, and means for reciprocating said part along said axle to an extent to carry said pinion in or out of'mesh engagement with said bevel-gear, substantially as shown and described.

2. A driving-gear for the trucks of locomotive cranes, or similar structures, comprising a bracket-like part, or casting, provided with an inwardly projecting sleeve-like portion or hub, at one end, and a corresponding bearing at the other end in slidable engagement with the driven axle of the truck through said hub and bearing, a bevel gear fixedly mounted on the axle between said bevel-gear, substantially as shown and de- I scribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HENRY e. STEINBRENNER. 

